Ball bearing



,ze l E Aug. 2l, 1945. H o. coDDlNGToN 2,382,975

BALL BEARING Filed ooit. v2, 194s Wcw Patented` Aug. 21, 1945.

1 jassasusiV signor toAndrews CompanyfSpartanbul-g,S; C.,`- a copartnershlp `composed `offlsaac Andrewsy. `Howard 0. `Coddington,` Andrews; .,SarahAndrews; Martha `VY-Andretvsl andA, J.,

" `ltlrelmus...

` "attenuante/oublient,1943iserialNersotsveff" i "invention relatesto ball bearingsfandlmore particularly has `forits object to prox/idea ball bearing in which the races are readily separable to .enable theballs to be assembledftherebetween,

and on theother-hand to enclosethe ca'geholdine the assembled bans. f

A further object is to provide `that the bearingacts both as a radial and as a thrust` bearing as thebearingis sub'lectedto,var`

eontemplatedr` use oi such ious forces during the abearing. 'r

The invention consistsof vertieal laterally disf posed identical minor reverse race members having curved surfaces cooperating'with'the `ba1ls abearing inwhich the races are so `disposed 'in respeet'to the Vballs Y held therein to `act either as a radial or` a thrust bearing depending upon e the resultant` `off-the forces set into lactionyand the invention ,consists further in providing between the `curved surfaces `of each memben a cutoutin thefmeinberforen-` closing therein the walls of the, cage `for the balls. And the inventionffurther consists in the "confi-` bination` of `such race members` with a `cagelfring having circumferentially disposed openings prof` i,vided withlspac'ed cornersfin the direction of the internal sideof the cage ring,I to ,the externalside thereof, said cornersxb'eing formed lonlipsgwitlf the lip at the` e:rterrial` sidehavingafdiameter smaller than the diameter of the balls, to permit l theballs .to `be pressed rtherethrough` and held cornersl thereof, in order to give a'freedom-of l movement for the balls between said corners,

while the balls adjust themselves to the race i members. Y The invention will be further described hereinafter, embodiments thereof shown in the drawing, and iinally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing- Fig. 1 is a central section of the improved race members and the improved cage showing the balls held therein;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of `one of the race members as to which the other race mem ber is in mirror-reverse;

Fig. 3 is a sideview of a ball bearing showing the balls held by thefcage and `a, fragmentary View of one of the race members looking at the same from itscentral portion;

Fig. 4 is aplan view of theimproved cage hold` ing the bans therein;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of part of the arragmentary pian view of the; cage having Aa modification" thereof "in the formi of circumferentiallyspaeed cutouts so that'the walls thereof` j act "as" ballles for j the l actuating"` of `the `oil or lubricant Within the race,Inernbersy Similar characters; of reference indicate` cor-l respondingparts throughout the various views.` u Referring tothe drawing, and moreparticularly tiallyspaced 'in the manner well known'in `ball v bearings. At.4 each sideyofsaid balls l a race member" is provided and these two race' members l are identical-but in mirrorfreverseto each other.

Onej oftheserace members is indicated by Il and the :other by lla,` Taking racemember ll r into "consideration and referring to Fig".l "2,Y the racememberll has a race l2` at its upper part oritsfradial outer part,fand another race`l`3"at its" lower partor atits radialinner part. The curvature of these races l2" and i3 correspond substantially with the curvature' ofthe balls` at their meridian.. Disposed between the races l2 and ."I3.there is a circumferentially extending cutout which is large enough to enclosethe cage ingiwiththe walls of "this cutout 14, `.and is freely movable. that `is.;rotatableiwithin the cutout u.

` in position between the two lip portions and the cage taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. e is a vertical section ramenV on une s-s Suiilcientspace is provided in the cutoutM beyondthat necessaryA to be loccupied bythe cage to` povideffifor a reservoir for the lubricant. "I'he remainingcontour of the race memberl ljis` de- `iined,byjvertical or` radial` walls l6` andf|1"`by` a circumferentially circular wall forming' "the outer portion indicated by `l8 and by a concentric circumferentially circular inner wall I9, whichf `walls merge at the lateral portion of the race members indicated by 20, bevelled portions 2l and 22 being provided. r r .l

One of these race members' is secured to the shaft or rotorand the other race member to "the housing or statorin a manner well known in bal1 bearings, and `because well known not shown` in the drawing. By having the two race members Il and Ila cooperating with the balls I0. through their races l2 and I la with the space between the race members vI l and l la as generally indicated by 25 which may be more or less than as shown, `the races when acted upon by the balls act either as a radial bearing or as a thrust bearing dependent upon the resultant of forces set into action during the operation of the bearing. l

Referring now to the improved cage, which is shownmore particularly in Figs. 2, 3, 5 and 6, this 7, generally indicated by I5a and is provided at its marginal portions with cutouts 40 which are when the ball is seated thereon. The remain-#Lf ing Wall 29 which forms this shoulder With thev Wall 21 is spaced from the ball so as to form a* space 28. The shoulder 21 merges 1into:etwall l y, 3I and from this an angularzwall 32 .extends away 1 from the Wall 3I and also-forms withy a wallf 33 an angular corner 35 whichicontacts WithLthe ball. the corner 35 forms a space '36 with the ball.

The material formed by thenwalls 32 yand'33`isin the shape of a lip and hasan inherent resiliency so as to yield upon pressure beingl exerted" circumferentially ofthe lip. The diameter of thecircle formed bythe'crner 35er, lip is slightly Ismaller than the diameter ofthe ball sothat when the ball is pressed from the outsidelof the cage suiilcientpres'suremust'be exertedupon the ball to enable the lip to give inwardly,that is from the outside Ato the Vinside of the cage, so as to permit the passage of the ball throughthe lip space after which the ball seats itself upon The Wall 33 which with the `lvv'all -32 fforms shown circular in shape, but which shape may be modified, the feature here being that the walls of thev coutouts will actas plates or baiiles in order to agitatethe lubricant held Within the cutoutsv I4 ofthe race members II and IIa.

"From the foregoing it appears that the invention `embodies the use of a pair of identical race members but in mirror reverse, one on each side o fv a plurality o f spaced balls and each having a pair of circumferential races separated by a cutout for-the cage for the balls, the races havingv .a curvature substantially that of the curvature of 'the balls.

y By providing a cage in which the balls have a freedom of movement, an

eiicient-I bearing is provided.

the corner 30 and the dispositionof this," corner 30 is such that thelip thereof, indicatedby 39, does not give and acts as an abutment against any further inward movement ofthe ball. The lip 38 having the corner 35 and the lipv 39 having the cornerSIl are so disposed in respect to the ball that the ball 'permits vagenerallyv radial movement fromwits contact with one lip or the other and this freedom ofymovement of the ball Within the cage ina generally radial direction enables the ball to cooperate withl the races I2 and I3 to actas a radial bearing orma thrust bearing dependent upon' the resultantv of' the forces set into action. t' l Q n The ballsmayl be readily assembled i'nto'fthe cage by pressing'themfrcm they outside intothe cage and after the balls have'all been so assem# bled the unitary 'cage which may bej'preferably made of plastic material holds all vthe ballswvith the freedom of movement described and the cage I have described various embodiments of my invention, but obviously changes may be made in the l, details disclosed without departing from the spirit lof the invention as set out in the fol,- lowing claims.

What Iclairn` is:I l

.1.. In a b all bearing, a pair of identical mirror reverse race members, and antifriction balls therebetween, veach member being disposed laterally of the plane of rotation of the balls, and eachhaving a' pair of races, the curvature' of the races and the extent of curvature being the same,and thev curvature of the races being substantially that of the'balls,l the members being'spacedfrom each other when the balls contact with the races, said members each having a circumferential cutout between thev races forming each pair, for thepassage of the cage for the balls.

'2. The combination of a plurality voi spaced ballscircu'mferentially arranged .in a'plane, and a vpair 'ofidentical race members in mirror reverse'e'ach disposed laterally of said'plane, and

each having a pair of races with a cutout therebetween,V the curvature of the races and' the extent of the curvature being substantially the same, varielAv substantially that of the balls held thereby; said'members being spaced-from each so cned is" then ready mbe vapplied within the Y race members lII vand IIa with the body of the cage. extending laterally in each direction from the balls into the cutout I 4 of the` racejmembers.

A modified form of cage ring is"sho,vvn"in Fig. 

